Bess

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Terry E. Bess

Senior Vice President

Silicon Valley Bank

Terry E. Bess wasn’t the classic technophile in college. Computer lingo wasn’t even in his lexicon when he graduated from Pepperdine University in 1970.

The Huntington Beach native was instead the consummate banker working for the first 12 years of his career in domestic and international banking at First Interstate. Then in 1982 he joined the tech group for Security Pacific.

“I thought that to focus on a niche area for banking would be best, so I chose this way to go,” he said.

Today, Bess, 50, is manager of L.A., Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties for Silicon Valley Bank, a fast-growing institution based in Santa Clara that has quickly become a key source of financing for start-up technology companies. The $3.1 billion-in-assets bank opened its first local office in February to play a more prominent role in Los Angeles and the developing tech “101 Corridor” between the San Fernando Valley and Santa Barbara.

The bank already has more than $100 million in commitments to small high-tech start-ups in L.A. County, and the local lending environment is so explosive that Bess said the bank is already planning to open another branch, possibly in the Westlake Village area.

The bank’s past and present client list includes the likes of 3D Systems Inc., Eltron International and Sandpiper Networks all three based in and around the 101 Corridor, Bess said.

“(Silicon Valley Bank) is very active in L.A. They’re one of our preferred partners, in terms of financing young companies,” said Thomas Clancy, a partner at venture capital firm Enterprise Partners in Irvine.

While Bess admits he wasn’t a high-tech convert at the outset, those who know him say his patience and thoroughness are qualities that make him well suited for his present job, where start-up technology firms form the bulk of his clientele.

“I would say he does his homework,” said Ed Gavaldon, chief executive of Peerless Systems Corp., one of Bess’ clients. “He puts a lot of weight in the management of the companies (he works with) and building a relationship with the management.

“My guess is he spends a lot of time assessing the management of companies and deciding what the risk profile is based on management, and I think he’s been pretty successful at that,” he said.

D.B. Young

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